Out of the Darkness
by CubbiesFan1
Summary: First Star Trek fanfic. Hard to summarize...Crew is sent to unknown region of space and run into a starnge encounter. Please read and review for me.
1. Chapter 1

**OUT OF THE DARKNESS**

**By: Sigokat**

Note: I do not own Star Trek or any of the characters. The original characters in this story do belong to me.

This is my first Star Trek fanfic, so please read and review for me. ALL critiques are welcome.

_Captain's Log_:

The course of the _USS Enterprise_ has been drastically altered due to a unique ionization storm, the likes of which we have not encountered before. As a result, the _Enterprise_ has been severely damaged; we have lost all contact with Starfleet due to the loss of long range communications and short range communications are limited to radio contact only. Also, the warp engine is offline and Mr. LeForge informs me it will take at least 3 standard weeks to repair. Other systems have been coming and going offline, to include life support systems. I fear that if we cannot affect repairs soon or find some form of aid the future looks grim for us all.

CPT Picard sat at the head of the table in his ready room staring into the faces of his senior officers. Their situation was dark, to say the least. There was no logical explanation for the storm and the subsequent damage that had been done to the ship. Picard had tasked his senior officers with developing solutions and now LT. Commander Data seemed to have the best option for now.

"Sir, we were able to conduct limited sensor scans of the planet below. We were able to determine that it is a Class M planet which almost parallels Earth in surface temperatures, oxygen levels and mineral deposits. We also encountered different life form readings with one resulting in a large population of a humanoid species."

"What are our chances of establishing communication with these people?" Picard asked.

"Sir, without knowing what their level of technological advancements are there are no means of determining whether or not they would receive our signal." Data responded.

"I believe we have to try." Commander Riker, the ships second in command, threw in.

"Agreed." Picard stated. "Mr. Data, send out a radio communication to the surface. Advise them of who we are, our current situation, and our request for assistance."

"Yes, Sir."

"If that fails, then we must risk a landing party to the surface to attempt contact." Lt. Worf, chief of security, added.

"Yes. If there is nothing else…" Picard received no responses, "Dismissed. Dr. Crusher would you stay for a moment?"

As one, the staff rose and left the ready room, Dr. Crusher lingered until the rest had departed. "Yes?" She could see the Captain had been stressed over their current predicament. They currently found themselves in a predicament that all Starfleet Officers knew could happen, but never spoke of for hope that it didn't; being lost in space.

"I can't help but imagine that there was more I could have done, Beverly. With life support systems as they are…"

"Jean-Luc," Beverly sat next to him and took his hand in hers, "You cannot beat yourself up over this. We have to remain focused on the task at hand. Hopefully, there is someone on that planet that can and will help us."

Picard nodded his agreement, "Yes, you're right; I just have this feeling in my gut that things are going to get worse before they get better."

Dr. Crusher had no response due to the fact that she had the same feeling. She continued to hold her Captain's hand; the only comfort she could give at the time.

"Sir, I think you should hear this." A young soldier stated from his post at communications."

"What is it, sergeant?" The duty captain replied.

"I'm receiving a strange communication. It's a call for help."

"Call for help? From whom, sergeant? Did you check your equipment?"

"Yes, Sir. The message…its coming from…space."

"What? You must have some sort of malfunction going on. That's impossible." The captain grabbed the headset from the soldier, listening to the transmission as it replied over and over for himself. "This is some sort of trick. Starfleet? United Federation of Planets? Ridiculous jabber, it must be another attempt by the rebels to infiltrate the city."

The duty captain practically spat the last sentence out, thus drawing the attention of everyone in the control center. Another man walked up behind him and asked, "What seems to be the problem, captain?"

The captain turned and immediately snapped to the position of attention. "Sir, communications has received some sort of phony message, it sounds like a trick." General Herscher was a tall, muscular man. His short cropped blond hair and dark blue eyes made his appearance professional at all times. His black armor glimmered in the pale light of the control room, the dark blue sash covering his left shoulder plate identified him as an Intelligence Officer, however every soldier knew who he was and respected him for it. General Herscher was in fact the head of Intelligence for the entire Army.

The General remained calm, his tone level, "What makes you believe it is phony?"

"Sir, they say they are from Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. I've never heard of any such organization."

General Herscher's eyes narrowed to slits, "Really? Thank you, captain. Make a copy of the message and have it forwarded to General Bauschavic's office immediately."

The captain, even as perplexed as he was by the request snapped a salute and responded, "Yes, Sir." However, the General had already turned away and was headed out of the control center.

"This is very interesting indeed and not very good at all." General Herscher mumbled to himself as he left, headed to General Bauschavic's office.

General Herscher knocked three times on the door; however he did not wait for a response before he entered. The knocking was more of a formality then anything, since only he and Colonel Marking would enter General Bauschavic's office without waiting for a reply.

General Bauschavic sat behind a large wooden desk; one could see his reflection in the dark brown polish. The General was a large man, his dark hair was slicked back along his head and his dark brown eyes had seen more then most. He was also well muscled, just like Herscher. His features were indeed handsome despite a deep scar that ran along the left side of his face, ending almost at his jaw line, which seemed to add some level of charisma to his almost perfect countenance.

"We may have a problem." Herscher announced as he entered, causing Bauschavic to briefly look away from the documents he had been reading.

"More rebel uprisings? I fear they are growing in significant numbers and have recruited numerous Brettanens to their ranks."

"Not that." Herscher replied; he walked over to the left of the room where atop a small table was a decanter filled with a clear liquid. He poured two glasses and handed one to Bauschavic as he sat down. "We've received a distress call…from space. I had communications forward it here." He nodded his head in the direction of the monitor that sat upon the desk.

Bauschavic sipped his drink and began to enter data into his computer, pulling up the necessary file. "Dare I ask its origin?"

"It's from the _USS Enterprise_, a Starfleet vessel." Herscher answered, the last words he spoke rather softly.

Bauschavic did not reply, instead he pulled up the recording and listened for himself, twice.

After a few moments of silence, Herscher finally spoke, "What do you think?"

"It sounds genuine enough, perhaps we should assist them."

"It could be a clever deception."

"It could, however, if it is not, and we do not help everyone aboard that ship will surely die."

Herscher shook his head, "I don't know. You cannot forget what happened…"

Bauschavic raised his hand before his friend's anger grew any more, "Yes, I know, however that would make us no better then them and they are the last ones I want to be compared with. We will do what we can, however I don't want to go into this blind. Retrieve whatever data you can about their command team using your…methods. Then send a response informing them we will meet in order to assess their situation and see what aid we can give. Their technology is more advanced then ours anyway."

Herscher rose, "I just think that with the current rebel situation this may be a distraction or worse. We cannot afford to lose…"

"Believe me, we won't let that happen." Bauschavic replied.

Herscher turned to go issue out the orders, but hesitated, "I can't help it. My gut is telling me that they are here for…you know."

Bauschavic nodded, "Perhaps, but I believe that if that was the case they would have send an assault team to take us by force. Besides, we will assess the situation when we meet with them and if that is their true intentions, well, we will have them as 'bargaining' means with Starfleet."

A small smile formed on Herscher's lips, "Yes, I see. I will arrange for the meeting and inform you of the time."

Bauschavic nodded, "Thank you." Herscher turned and left. "I sure hope that he is wrong." Bauschavic spoke aloud. He leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his face before finishing his drink in one long gulp.

"Captain," Lieutenant Ickes spoke from the communications relay, "We are receiving a message from the surface."

"On audio." Picard sat up straighter in his chair; the response had not taken very long; he only hoped that it would be what they were looking for.

Lieutenant Ickes punched in the sequence and the message played throughout the bridge. "_USS Enterprise_, we will assist you in whatever capacity we can. Send your team to these coordinates for an initial briefing. Awaiting response."

The message was short, but direct. "I wonder who these people are." Riker stated, "Their response was in English."

"They must possess some sort of translation device." LT. Worf suggested.

"LT Ickes, send a reply that we will send a shuttlecraft to the given coordinates." Picard ordered.

"Yes, sir."

A few moments later the response came back, "We will be standing by for your arrival."

Picard rose and tapped his combadge, "Command team to the ready room."

A few moments later Picard and his senior staff were assembled together. "It seems as if we have an ally on the surface. Commander Riker, yourself, LT. Worf, Counselor Troi, LT. Commander Data and LT. Commander LeForge will go to the surface. You will leave immediately, we cannot waste anymore time as our situation has not improved. Send immediate reports upon arrival and updates after the conclusion of this briefing."

"Yes, Sir." They all responded as one and began to leave the room to prepare for the away mission. "Will," Riker turned back to Picard, "Good luck."

Riker nodded, "Thank you, Sir. Don't worry, as always we will represent the Federation to the highest of standards."

Picard nodded and Riker turned and left.

"They are in route in a shuttlecraft." Herscher reported to Bauschavic. Colonel Marking was also present, he was shorter then the other two men, but just as well-built. His black armor shoulder plating was adorned with two colors, maroon and orange, which identified him as not only a communications Officer, but also as a scout. His light, golden tan skin and dark short black hair blended well with his armor, he was almost invisible to others due to his skill of mixing with the shadows. He stood by silently; eyes narrowed to slits as we listened to his comrades speak.

Bauschavic smirked "Good. Let's go have a talk with this _Enterprise_ crew."

"My men are meeting them at designated coordinates and then will escort them to Holding Area Three." Herscher added.

"Were you successful in retrieving the information we needed?"

"Of course." Herscher smiled as he handed a folder to the other man. "Interesting group to say the least."

"They have a Klingon." This time it was Marking who spoke, however he spat the phrase out more then spoke it.

"Really? I didn't know they were allies." Bauschavic stated as he briefly read over the documents.

"That could be a problem." Marking said as he stepped closer to the other two men.

"We will deal with the Klingon when the time comes. For now, this is what concerns me." Bauschavic tapped one of the files, "This is more dangerous then some filthy Klingon."

Marking glanced up at the other man and simply nodded his agreement. "We better be off."

Bauschavic nodded and handed the file back to Herscher who quickly disposed of it. The three men exit the room, headed towards their encounter with Starfleet.

The shuttle craft headed towards the prearranged coordinates. Commander Riker would have preferred to transport to the surface however that was just another system that had been damaged and was not yet cleared as safe for use. They were headed towards a large city that had been fortified by a large wall. The coordinates had them landing at a small complex directly outside the wall on the far side. Riker could see a large river that ran directly behind the city as well. Once the craft had landed the away team gathered their tricorders and phasers and opened the shuttle's door.

Riker stepped out and was met by four soldiers. They were dressed all in black, with some sort of black alloyed body armor that protected their chests, arms, and tops of their legs. There were colors and markings upon the armor; however Riker had no idea what they meant. Riker could not make out any facial features due to the fact each soldier was wearing a similar black helmet that covered the enter head. A darkened visor covered their eyes so nothing could be seen. Each one of them carried what appeared to be a projectile-fed rifle and across their waists were small swords. Currently three of the four men had their rifles pointed at Riker and the rest of his away team as they exited the craft.

One of the men stepped forward, and motioned for them to move off to one side; once they had complied another man in the group entered the shuttle craft, obviously ensuring no one else remained on board. He exited the vehicle and nodded to the other man. The leader turned back to the Starfleet officers and spoke aloud, some sort of transmitter device enabling him to speak to those without the helmets. "Follow us and stay in line." He motioned to the phasers that were attached to their uniforms. "You cannot take those with you. We must confiscate them."

"Sir…" Riker started, but was swiftly cut off by the guard.

"That was not a request." The guard stated harshly, raising his rifle at Riker's chest. "If you do not comply then you must depart. They will be returned to you later."

Riker nodded, better not to start off on the wrong foot, besides these people had offered their help, and he doubted they would need their phasers anyway. He handed over his phaser to one of the guards and motioned for the others to do the same. Once they were done the guards again motioned for them to follow. "It is a short distance from here. Stay in between us." They walked over to the complex next to which they had landed and one soldier entered a code into the control panel. The doors opened and they all entered, immediately descending a long flight of stairs.

After many identical hallways, left turns and right turns and more stairs both up and down the away team found themselves standing in front of another set of doors. One of the guards activated the doors and motioned the group inside. Two of the guards and their leader entered with them. "Wait here. You will be attended to shortly." He turned and left however the two guards stayed, each flanking the door. Riker could only assume that at least one more guard stood outside the doors as well.

The room was rather plain. A long polished table stood in the center of the room, chairs evenly spaced out along each side. One corner of the room contained a small computer console, however everything was turned off and it appeared that it had not been used in some time. Another set of doors stood on the far wall directly across from the ones that they had entered through.

"I guess we wait." Riker said as he and the others sat down. Almost immediately the opposite set of doors opened and three men entered. Riker and the others all stood back up and watched as the men walked around to the opposite end of the table. Each man was formidable in size to say the least, Riker noticed as the smallest of the three stood off to one side, concealing himself in the corner of the room. All three men wore the same black armor as their escorts minus the arm plates and helmets, nor did they carry rifles. However, each did have a sword strapped to their waists, but they were different then the guards. In fact, they were all different from each others. One of the men stepped forward, glaring at the away team, his dark eyes lingering on each on just long enough to make them feel uncomfortable, with the exception of Data who did not have the luxury of feelings. A dark scar ran along his face and Riker noticed that he stared at Worf and Troi the longest. Riker glanced at the third man who had lingered behind and noticed his gaze was fixed securely on Worf, a clear scowl across his face. He had his arms folded across his chest, making his muscular forearms appear larger then they may have been.

After a few moments, the blond haired man, leaned in next to his comrade and spoke in his ear. Riker noticed that his universal translator did not identify the language. The first man removed a small, cylindrical object from behind his back and placed it on the table in front of him. To Riker it appeared to be some sort of writing utensil.

"My name is General Bauschavic, Commander of the Armies of Tarina and overall guardian of the protection of Sardis. Theses are my comrades," he motioned towards the blond man, "General Herscher, my Chief of Intelligence and this," he motioned towards the other man, "Is Colonel Marking. He is my communications systems Officer; however he is, at heart, a true scout…as you can see." Bauschavic's eyes narrowed, "Where is Captain Picard?"

Riker was visibly shocked. How did this man know the captain's name? "Sir, with all due respect, I am Commander Riker, second in command of the _USS Enterprise_. These are my senior staff, LT. Commander Data, LT. Commander LeForge, Counselor Troi, and Lieutenant Worf. We represent Captain Picard and the Federation and request your assistance in the repairs of our ship."

Bauschavic cut him off, "Yes, I know. I responded to your distress call. Is your captain dead?"

"No, of course not." Riker replied.

Bauschavic shook his head and Riker couldn't help but notice how remarkably human these men were acting. "Your ship is damaged and you request our help, however your captain does not think it is important enough to come and meet the very ones who are willing to help him? I do not understand."

"Sir, with all due respect…" LeForge started.

"I do not require your respect. I was under the impression I would be meeting with your ship's captain. Instead he sends me his second in command, a blind engineer, an android, a half-breed, and a Klingon." He spat the last word out, showing his obvious disgust with the situation. "This is unacceptable, we have more important things that require our attention and if your captain does not deem his situation grave enough to meet with us then I do not see why we should help you."

Riker noticed Colonel Marking stood up a little straighter placing one of his gloved hands upon the hilt of his sword. Riker did not understand how the situation had gone south so quickly, but he had to do something to rectify the situation. "General, in exchange for whatever aid you can provide, the Federation will compensate you…"

"We don't need or want any compensation from your Federation." It was General Herscher who spoke this, jabbing his finger at Riker.

Bauschavic raise his hand, and Herscher backed off. "I'm afraid that we cannot help you."

"You men have no honor." Worf stated for the first time.

Riker flinched as he saw that the statement did not sit well with the three men. Colonel Marking took a step forward and General Bauschavic tightened his hand around his sword hilt; Riker could hear the leather like material constricting against the man's grip. His muscles tensed and Riker wished that the guards had not confiscated their phasers; they had no means to defend themselves against their "hosts".

"How dare you speak to us of honor, you Klingon dog." Bauschavic growled. "Your race doesn't know the meaning of that word. You use it to justify your brutal and barbarian tactics." Then as quickly as they had tensed the three men relaxed, obviously intending to show they did not fear either Worf or the rest of the away team. "This meeting is over. The guards will escort you back to your shuttlecraft. I suggest you leave orbit however you can, we do have a possible war brewing here."

Bauschavic and the other two turned to leave, but were stopped by Counselor Troi's plea, "Please, if you will not help then hundreds of people will surely die." Troi attempted to probe the men's minds, but found herself physically blocked. It took her off guard and she flinched visibly. Then she heard a voice in her mind, the voice of Bauschavic, 'Do not attempt that again. Next time it will be painful.'

Bauschavic and his comrades turned back to the table and then spoke to each other in the same language as before, the away team unable to interpret what they were saying. Finally, after a few tense moments Bauschavic spoke. "Very well, we will do what we can. We do not believe that innocent people should die due to the mistakes of your captain."

Riker could not tell if he was referring to the ship or to Picard's absence at this meeting. "You can transport your crews to the surface and we will arrange for them to meet with respective counterparts in order to effect whatever repairs we can help you with. Your people will come unarmed, as your phasers will not work here anyway. Your people should not wander alone. Even though they are safe within the city, we must be cautious. Like I said we are on the brink of war. Your communication devices should work between here and your ship. You can begin preparing your crews immediately. If these terms are unacceptable then you can look for help elsewhere. However, I doubt the Brettanens or the rebels will be as generous as we are."

"Sir, thank you for reconsidering your offer." Riker added.

"Inform your captain that I still wish to speak with him in person." The three men had reached the door, but before they left Bauschavic added, "And I suggest you keep your Klingon close to you. He will not be accepted here as graciously as the rest of you. I can issue orders to my soldiers that he remains unmolested, however I cannot control the general populace."

With that they turned and left. Riker exhaled deeply, "Well, that wasn't so bad." He collapsed into his chair. "Good thing you found his soft side, Deanna."

Worf growled outwardly, "I do not like them. They seem to have some ulterior motives and his blatant disrespect towards me was unjustified. I cannot allow it to pass."

"Worf, I would not advise that. In fact, I order you to stand clear of those men. Nothing but trouble will come from it."

"I am concerned about a few points." Data added.

"Such as?" Riker asked.

"I noticed that these men not only appeared to be remarkably human, but also acted very much like humans do, quite emotional when certain subjects arose."

"I noticed the same thing." Riker added, "Deanna, anything?"

"I was blocked from their minds. I could not estimate the exact level of their abilities; however Bauschavic spoke to me in my mind."

"What? How?" Riker asked, suddenly concerned.

"I do not know, however I intend to find out."

"They also knew who we were." Geordi LeForge added. "I just don't get it. They also seemed to have some knowledge of Starfleet, however it could have just been a ploy on their part to appear as possessing more knowledge then they really do."

"I'll contact the captain and give him a full report. Let's get this started; assemble your teams and begin transporting them to the surface. We need the transporter operational as soon as possible."

The first set of doors opened and the two missing guards entered, the one in charge had retracted his visor, his green eyes and light brown eyebrows were all that were visible. "You can follow us, we will take you to an area were you can set up your operations. There you will be briefed as to the layout of the facility; where you can and cannot go. Some of my men will be there to initially help you set up and assist you with your needs until your people begin to arrive. At that time we will transport you to the drop off site so you can meet them."

Riker was pleasantly surprised at the change in demeanor of the guard. "Thank you, sir. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated."

"I would like to meet with General Bauschavic again if that is possible." Deanna added.

"The General is extremely busy right now…" The guard hesitated for a moment, "But I will see what I can do. If you are ready you can follow us." The other guards lowered their weapons to a non-threatening stance for the first time since the away team's arrival. They also all raised their visors, just as their comrade in arms.

"You're lucky, you know that, right?" Colonel Marking said in between sips from his glass.

"How so?" Bauschavic responded.

"I doubt Tarina would approve of this. You're lucky you have such latitude from her."

Bauschavic shrugged. The three men were in Bauschavic living quarters; separate from the underground military complex, but close enough that if something dire happened they could be there within moments. The rooms were lavishly decorated and the golden flame like lighting added to the mysterious aura that surrounded the men and their city. There was an open balcony that overlooked the city, with the palace set dead center in the middle. Lights dotted the city streets, the populace moving about conducting their daily routines. Even with the rebel uprising, the people of Sardis continued on, not letting the fears of war disrupt them from their lives.

Bauschavic had removed his armor, letting his body relax after the tension that had risen within him. He knew of Herscher's and Marking's fears because he had the same fears in himself with regards to the sudden arrival of these Starfleet personnel.

"I don't like the Klingon." Herscher stated ever so matter of fact. "Or the android for that matter."

"The Klingon we can handle, but yes, the android could prove to be a problem."

"Hopefully they get what they need and get out of here as quick as possible." Herscher answered.

"I felt the Betazoid woman in my mind." Marking added his eyes lowered to the ground. He seemed almost ashamed that he had allowed such an intrusion get past him.

"Yes, I think she did that to us all." Herscher added.

The three men sat in silence for a few moments. Bauschavic glanced at a timepiece on the wall, "It is my time. I really hate doing this."

"Likewise, my friend." Herscher said as he and Marking rose to leave. "I'm headed back to the control center if anything arises tonight. I will keep you informed."

"I have final preparations for my mission tomorrow night. My men are ready, but we have some final briefings we must conduct." Marking added. "I will see you before we leave tomorrow. Besides, it will be my time in a few hours anyway."

Bauschavic nodded. "Yes, until next time then."

The two men left and Bauschavic sighed. He understood his friends' apprehensions with assisting Starfleet and even though he knew that they may not have approved of his decision they would stick with him throughout it. He went into his sleeping quarters and retrieved his injection devices. He never had liked needles and dreaded this daily routine, hence why he did not enjoy being with others when he had to do it. Even though Herscher and Marking had to do the same, he still did not relish the procedure.

He sat down at the table and removed his shirt. He removed two small rubber blocks from his kit and placed him in his mouth, then he filled the syringe with the dark green solution to the required dosage. He always chose his abdomen as the injection site, the tiny needle punctures did not show as much as if he had used his arms or neck. He leaned over, tightening his abdominal muscles when he heard his door open. Knowing that only Herscher and Marking would enter his quarters without knocking he said nothing and did not look up. He assumed one of them must have forgotten something. When he felt ready, he jabbed the needle into his stomach and injected the liquid into him, the pain that the fluid caused was unbearable and he clenched his fists tightly as the liquid ran through his body. He bit down on the rubber blocks, leaving indentions from his teeth. After a few minutes the pain had subsided into a low burning sensation and Bauschavic leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he removed the rubber blocks from his mouth.

"You could have waited a few minutes till I was done. You know how much I hate doing this in front of others." He said aloud.

"General…I'm sorry…"

Bauschavic's eyes shot open and he looked towards the door and saw Counselor Troi from the _Enterprise_ standing before him. He jumped out of his seat, knocking the chair to the floor. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"I came to talk to you personally. I didn't know…"

"How did you get up here?"

"One of your guards escorted me, I didn't know that…" her eyes drifted towards the table where he had been sitting and saw the empty syringe.

Bauschavic stepped into her view, blocking out the needle. He was larger then she had first assumed. His body perfectly muscled and toned, all the more defined due to his apparent anger. "Do not concern yourself with that. It is merely…medication. What do you want? Could this not have waited until later?"

"I wanted to talk with you alone."

Bauschavic's eyes narrowed, his suspicion obvious, "About what?"

"You."

He relaxed and turned away from her, collecting up his things and putting them out of sight. He put his shirt back on as well. "Well, since you are already here, you can stay. Care for a drink?"

Troi hesitated for a moment, "Yes, thank you."

Bauschavic poured a dark brown liquid into a glass and handed it to her; he poured another for himself and sat down on one of the couches, motioning for her to do the same. She chose the couch directly across from him.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"First, I wanted to thank you for your help. It means a great deal to us, like I said before we would surely die if you were unwilling."

"You're welcome."

"How did you know so much about us before we arrived?" She asked.

He shrugged in response, "I have my ways and I cannot reveal all my secrets to you."

"Are we the first?"

"First what?"

"First people you have come in contact with from another world?"

"No." Was his only response.

"The Klingons? They were the first?"

"Why are you asking this?"

"We have no idea what region of space we are in or how we got here for that matter. If the Klingons had been here before then there must be some record of this system, however we can find none in our databanks."

"I thought the Klingons were your enemies." Bauschavic replied, but immediately reconsidered it, fearing he may have said too much.

"We have a truce with the Klingon Empire right now. What did they do to you that you hate them so much?"

"Why do you care?"

Troi rose from her seat and casually walked around the room, taking in her surroundings without being too obvious. She was trying to learn more about this man and who he was. Upon the far wall stood a weapons display case, the contents of which seemed to grab her attention. "I'm just curious is all." She wandered out to the balcony. Bauschavic followed, knowing full well what she was trying to do.

"This is a beautiful view." She said as she sipped her drink.

"Dangerous lands lie beyond the walls. We've been fighting the Brettanens for a long time now. They destroyed many of the outlying settlements and villages. They are monsters…just like the Klingons."

Troi turned back towards the man, "You're a telepath."

Bauschavic took a step back from, her questions wandered form one subject to the next and he feared she was trying to catch him off guard. "No. I just have certain abilities is all; you cannot compare me to the likes of you and your kind."

"I am only half Betazoid, but you already knew that." She lowered her eyes and he realized that his earlier comments directed at her must have hurt deeper then he expected.

"I apologize if I offended you earlier, however I was angry that your captain…"

"Captain Picard is in a very grave situation and felt the best place for him to be was aboard his ship with his crew."

Bauschavic said nothing. He looked out across the city and then glanced up at the sky as if looking for the ship. "Like I said, I am sorry if I offended you, Counselor."

"Apology accepted. You can call me Deanna."

"Thank you, Deanna. I am Viktor."

Troi turned away from him, "Viktor, a very human name."

"What?"

"Nothing, just an observation."

Troi began to walk away but Bauschavic grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "What is that supposed to mean? What do you really want from me?"

His grip was like a vice and Troi's arm began to ache from the pressure, she tried to pull away from him, but he held on and tightened his grip even more. "What do you want?" He demanded again, firmer and louder this time.

"You're hurting me. Please…" Tears began to swell in her eyes, both from pain and fear. The manner in which this man's demeanor changed from calm to angry within moments frightened her.

"You think you know who I am? Is that what you think? Probe my mind again if you'd like, at least this time I am inviting you to do so as opposed to your deceptive attempts earlier."

"No…"

"Go and report to your captain, tell him all about me, maybe if you try looking a little harder you will discover what you want to know." His voice was deep and filled with anger as he spoke the words through his gritted teeth. He released her harshly, sending her falling to the floor. She sat there, cradling her injured arm, tears flowing down her cheeks; he stepped past her and back into the room. He walked out of sight, but a few moments later reappeared he reached down to her, but she slapped his hand away. He stared back at her for a moment then sighed.

"It was not my intention to harm you. Please," he held out his hand again, this time she took it and he gently helped her to her feet. He guided her back into the room and sat her down on the couch. "Sometimes I forget my own strength." He lowered his head and as he spoke Deanna heard shame in his voice. "I do not harm women, it is against our code. Forgive me."

She said nothing and he handed her two old photographs, one of a small girl and one of himself and a woman, he did not have the facial scar in the photo that marked his face now. "Your family?" Deanna asked softly.

He nodded, "Yes." He stood with his arms folded across his chest, "They are dead now."

Troi looked up at him and saw hurt and pain on his face, "How?"

He took the pictures back from her, "The Klingons murdered them." He was silent for a few minutes, "You should go now."

Deanna rose from her seat, wiping away her tears. She did not want anyone to see her in such a state. "I'm sorry if my questions upset you. I did not come here for that." Instead of stepping towards the door, she found herself stepping closer to him.

"What did you come here for then?"

Deanna stopped and thought for a moment and then answered honestly, "I really do not know." She reached out and placed a hand on his chest as she took another step closer, it was as if she was being drawn to him by some uncontrolled force. This man had just assaulted her and could very possibly have killed her if he had wanted to, yet she found herself attracted to him somehow.

He stepped back from her, "This will get you nowhere. You really need to leave now; there are other matters that require my attention outside of your predicament."

Deanna nodded and headed towards the door, she turned back to him one last time, "I won't tell Captain Picard about your family, but I will find out who you really are."

"You are welcome to try." Bauschavic answered. Counselor Troi turned and left.

Bauschavic sunk down into his sofa, laying back and staring at the ceiling. 'What have I done?' He asked himself. He knew that the next step would be facing Tarina and there was no hiding anything from her. He was starting to wish he had listened to Herscher and Marking and not helped these people because now he saw absolutely no good coming out of it at all and Herscher was right, things were going to get worse from here. He knew that it was only a matter of time before they discovered who he and his comrades were and then he didn't know what he would have to do.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Out of the Darkness**

**Chapter 2

* * *

**

**By: Sigokat**

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek of any of its characters and I am making no money off of this. The original characters in this story, however, do belong to me.

A/N: I did not realize that my breaks did not appear when I posted the story. I apologize if it caused some confusion as to the flow of the story and the transitions from one scene to the next. I believe I have fixed the problem now. Also, thank you for the reviews so far and I have made appropriate corrections.

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The storage warehouse was enormous and Geordi LaForge found himself wandering through the aisles for what seemed like hours. As he ran his tricorder past numerous units, he wondered if there was anything at all that he would be able to use to fix his damaged ship. If he could find some useful materials he would be able to manipulate them into something that would get them just far enough to reach Federation space. No luck so far. Two Sardisian engineers had attempted to help, however their technological knowledge was far inferior to his and he instructed them that he would rather search on his own.

Geordi was about to give up and try the next warehouse when his visor picked up something strange on the far wall of the warehouse. He walked in the direction and as he got closer he was able to make out features of what appeared to be a door. The door was actually not hidden in any sense that it was invisible or protected by a force field; the only reason Geordi hadn't noticed it sooner was that it was located behind stacks of crates and boxes. He had been lucky to just make out the edges of the door in his visor or else he would have overlooked it completely.

"Data, can you meet me in storage warehouse 13?" Geordi spoke as he tapped his combadge. "I need your assistance with moving a few things."

"I'm on my way now." Data replied.

Data arrived to the warehouse and within a few moments they had begun to remove the crates and boxes that were blocking access to the door.

"I only noticed it by chance. I was actually getting ready to move on to the next warehouse."

"I am curious to know why they have the door blocked."

"Probably nothing of value, however it is worth a look. By the way, that reminds me, have you found anything useful yet?"

"Not much. A few circuit connectors and data cards that I will modify and use in repairing the transporter." Data stopped, a large box cradled in his arm. "Geordi, have you noticed anything strange about our hosts?"

Geordi grinned as he pushed another box out of the way, "Anything strange? Name something that hasn't struck you as odd."

Data tilted his head slightly to the left and spoke, "Some of the people that I have been working with appear to have some limited knowledge of Starfleet technology."

"Really?"

"Yes, quite so, however they never spoke of Starfleet and the knowledge that they do possess seems quite outdated."

"You're probably just imagining things."

Data tilted his head and blinked, "I do not think so, Geordi."

Geordi sighed; sometimes he wished Data could at least comprehend simple human phrases and emotions. "Come on, we are almost done."

Once the last of the boxes had been moved, Geordi and Data stood in front of the door. It was actually two large bay doors, most likely leading to another storage area.

"Well, let's have a look." Geordi stated and they pulled the heavy doors open, a loud and ear piercing shriek confirming that the doors had been closed for quite a long time.

The room was pitch black and Geordi could not pick up any visuals from his visor. He groped the wall with his hand and found a light panel, flicking the switch into the up

position. Lights began to flicker and within moments the bay with lit to full capacity.

The room was not nearly as large as the warehouse, probably less then half of its size. There were a few rows of shelving along the right hand side of the room, most of which were empty and covered with dust. Along the left hand side of the room were piles of containers, most covered with dusty tarps.

Data walked over to one of these containers and lifted the tarp. "Geordi, look at this."

Geordi walked to where Data was holding up the tarp, he looked down at the container and then back up at Data. "This can't be. We have to report this to the captain immediately."

"I would suggest we return to the ship in order to file our report. It is extremely likely that our transmissions may be being monitored. I can also begin repairs to the transporter."

"Good idea."

"I will also look into this, perhaps it is not what we think it is, however we will know for sure once I research it through our databanks."

"Let's go." Geordi stated and turned to leave, however he stopped in mid stride staring at the doors they had entered.

Standing in the doorway, blocking their only means of egress was General Herscher and Colonel Marking. The latter's face was adorned with a satisfying sneer; his left hand loosely covered the hilt of his sword.

"Is there something that we can assist you gentlemen with?" Herscher asked ever so calmly.

Geordi stammered a reply, "No, General. Thank you. We were just about to leave."

"So have you found anything useful yet?"

"A few items." Data replied, "We will be returning to our ship to begin repairs on some of the systems now."

Herscher nodded, however Geordi LaForge wasn't convinced of the man's sincerity. He didn't know how long the two men had been watching them. Now, more then ever, he wanted to get back to the ship. Something was definitely not right here. Geordi sucked in his breath and walked towards the door; trying to appear as calm and collective as possible. As much as these two men, especially the near silent Colonel frightened him, he could not let it show. He had seen men like these before; they craved fear from others and took it upon themselves to entice terror in others' minds for their own pleasures. These men were the best he had seen, they didn't have to do much except be present and Geordi would feel the hairs on his neck standing on end.

Data followed in step and Geordi immediately felt a pang of jealousy of his android friend. Data did not know what fear felt like and right now he was wishing he had that luxury as well.

Herscher and Marking stepped aside, letting the two Starfleet officer pass in between them. As Geordi passed, Marking reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "If there is anything else we can do for you, do not hesitate to ask." He grinned a perfect set of white teeth at the engineer and android.

"Umm, thank you, Sir." Geordi replied and Marking released him.

"Any time." He mumbled under his breath.

Herscher's and Marking's gazes followed the two until they had left warehouse 13 completely.

"We need to tell Viktor about this. I knew we should have required escorts for these people." Herscher said as he walked over to the container that had been disrupted.

"I fear our friend will feel Tarina's wrath for this one." Marking added.

"Perhaps, but we may be able to fix this before that happens. Come on, we should go report this immediately. I believe he is in the control center."

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Anger brewed inside LT Worf in regards to General Bauschavic's comments at their initial meeting and now he meant to reclaim his honor. No man could insult a Klingon in such a manner and be expected to go unchallenged. If Worf did nothing then the General's statement would eat away at his pride and his honor. No, Worf would not allow that to happen and he meant to do something about it, immediately.

He stormed down the hallways, making his way towards the control center. Even though they were informed that the area was off limits he did not care. Nor did he care to listen to CMDR Riker's and Counselor Troi's protests.

"Worf, I am ordering you not to do this." Riker stated again as he followed swiftly behind the Klingon.

Worf stopped; the control center was around the next corner. "He insulted me and my people. He questioned my honor. I cannot allow that. You can court martial me if you like, however you cannot stop me."

"Worf, he claims that Klingons killed his family." Troi interjected. She had not wanted to violate the General's trust, however she had to say something to try and dissuade Worf.

"Lies." Worf spat. "Klingons have never been here."

"Worf, I do not think that is the case." Troi replied.

"Why? Why do you believe this man? And worse, why are you defending him? He is a liar and a coward who hides behind his comrades. Not this time." Worf turned and strode down the next hallway towards the control center. He was done debating with them.

As he approached the control center doors, Worf took in the two guards that were standing post on the sides of the entrance. They wore the same black armor as the rest and the dark visors covered their eyes; their rifles held low across their chests, ready to be brought to bear in a moments notice.

"Let me pass." Worf demanded, expecting to be met with resistance. However, to his surprise one of the guards turned and entered a code into the keypad causing the doors to slide open before him. The guard returned to his original stance, without a word or gesture to the Klingon.

Worf entered the control center, followed quickly by Riker and Troi. "Worf, do not do this." Riker said again, but it came out more as a plea then an order.

Worf ignored his superior as he took in the room. Black armor clad soldiers moved back and forth throughout the room. Many were manning communications and computer consoles. None seemed to take notice of the three Starfleet officers that had just entered. In the center of the room was a large war table, with holographic maps projected out across it. Worf spotted Bauschavic and the other two men standing at the table, surrounded by other officers. They appeared to be conducting some sort of mission briefing. On the far side of the table stood a squad of soldiers. These men were different from the others in that they were not wearing the same armor as the rest. The armor they wore was a green and black camouflage pattern of some sort and it also appeared to be constructed of a lighter material, none of the soldiers had any identifying symbols or crests upon their armor either. Worf noticed the Colonel Marking was also wearing the same armor as these soldiers, having exchanged his black armor for that of the squad.

Worf boldly strode towards the table; one of the scout soldiers spotted him and motioned to Colonel Marking. Marking looked up from the map and immediately said something to the Generals for they also stopped what they were doing and stared at Worf. Others in the room finally seemed to notice the Klingon and his companions; the room fell almost silent. The men around the room stared at the Klingon, however none advanced in his direction.

"What do you want?" Bauschavic growled as Worf reached the map table and stopped.

"You insulted my people and my honor yesterday. I have come to challenge you."

Silence.

Bauschavic stared at the Klingon and then slowly walked around the table and stood face to face with the Klingon; then a broad smile broke onto his face and he began to laugh. Soon his laughter was echoed throughout the room by his men. Herscher and Marking exchanged similar smiles, but they appeared more as smiles of anticipation then ones caused by humor.

"Go away, Klingon." Bauschavic said with a wave of his hand, "I have more important matters on hand."

"I will not. If you do not except my challenge then you are the coward."

Again, silence.

Bauschavic stared into Worf's eyes, his smile having quickly disappeared. He glanced over Worf's shoulder to see Riker and Troi standing there, waiting.

To Riker he said, "Take your dog out of my sight. I suggest you purchase a stronger leash for him." With that he turned away.

Worf, fully enraged by the General's words, lashed out. He swung hard and connected with the side of Bauschavic's head. The man staggered, but he did not fall. Immediately weapons were raised and swords were drawn, all pointed in the direction of Worf, Riker, and Troi.

Bauschavic straightened and raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to lower their weapons. Once they had complied he began to unlatch his armor plates. "If this is what you want, Klingon." He removed his armor and handed it to one of the soldiers nearby; he then did the same with his weapons belt. "So you cannot claim I had an advantage after you regain your composure."

Worf stepped back a few paces, putting some distance between the two, and then raised his fists, "There will be none of that. I challenge you…to the death."

Bauschavic sneered, "So be it."

He stepped forward and raised his hands as well. He inched closer to the Klingon, trying to make his opponent make the first move. Soon Worf took the bait and rushed in; swing a hard right hook towards the General. Bauschavic sidestepped the blow easily, causing Worf to miss completely and be temporarily off balance. He threw a short jab into Worf side, causing the Klingon to flinch, but not inflicting much damage. Worf recovered quickly and came in again, this time throwing combination punches, a few landed, but the General was able to block most of them.

Riker could hear the murmurs and guarded conversations of the soldiers around him, some almost sounded as if they were betting on the fight. None seemed to have the slightest doubt in their commanding officer's abilities. Riker did not see this fight having a successful outcome, no matter who won. They were in dangerous territory, surrounded by hostile and well armed soldiers and seriously outnumbered. Riker cursed inwardly at Worf for starting this fiasco.

Bauschavic continued to dodge Worf's attacks, wearing the Klingon down before he took the offensive. He could see already that the Klingon was starting to slow in his attacks. Worf was fighting out of anger which, Bauschavic knew, caused many mistakes, however it also caused an uncanning desire to win and that could be dangerous. Worf dropped his hands ever so slightly and Bauschavic moved in for the attack. He landed 3 solid punches to the Klingon's head and face and then drove his right fist deep into the Klingon's belly, thus triggering Worf's reflexes and causing him to keel over and grab his stomach. Bauschavic followed up by grabbing the back of Worf's head with both hands and driving his knee into his face. Worf reeled back as Bauschavic released him and he fell to the floor flat on his back.

Cheers erupted from the soldiers and Bauschavic walked over to the downed Klingon, he did not even appear to be breathing heavily. He looked down at him and waited for Worf's eyes to focus on his before he spat on the Klingon's tunic. "I suggest you stay there."

Bauschavic backed off, knowing that his words would anger the Klingon even more. He turned his back on the Klingon and headed back towards the table. Riker spied what appeared to be money changing hands by some of the soldiers.

Worf picked himself up of the floor, "This is not over. I said to the death." He scoffed.

Bauschavic turned back to the Klingon and was caught off guard as Worf immediately charged the man as he turned. Both slammed into the map table behind them, Bauschavic's back twisting in what appeared to be an extremely painful manner. Worf clung hard to the man's waist, continuing to drive his head and shoulder into the General's abdomen. Bauschavic grimaced and with his left hand grabbed onto the back of Worf's tunic and began to drive his right elbow into Worf's back, attempting to break the Klingon's grasp. After numerous blows Worf stopped his head and shoulder thrusts and Bauschavic felt Worf's grip loosening. He raised his arm from another blow then suddenly realized his error in judgment, but it was too late.

As soon as his arm was raised, he was vulnerable and Worf's spiked forehead shot up, connecting with Bauschavic's chin and nose and wiping his head backwards. He immediately released his grip as he staggered backwards. Riker, Troi, and even Worf stared at the General with pure astonishment. That type of blow should have floored the man, sending him straight into unconsciousness, however he didn't even fall. Blood poured freely from his nose, mouth, and broken lips and he wiped at it with the back of his hand. The soldiers in the room fell silent and they watched their commander stagger and finally collapse against the table, straining for support.

Worf grinned and knew that this was his chance. He was about to redeem his honor from this pathetic excuse for a soldier.

Riker was in shock as much as the rest of the room. He couldn't believe that Bauschavic had lasted as long as he did; he had never seen anyone stand up that long against Worf or any other Klingon for that matter. Riker glanced around the room and locked eyes with General Herscher.

Unlike the others in the room, Herscher remained his calm and stoic self. His hands were clasped behind his back as he silently watched the proceedings. 'Did he want his commander to lose?' Riker thought, 'Some sort of rivalry between the two Generals?' However, Riker immediately knew he was wrong. He glanced back at Bauschavic who was still struggling to stand, blood still gushing down his chin and onto his chest; then he glanced back at Herscher. Herscher smiled at Riker and then winked at him. Riker finally realized what was about to happen…he turned his gaze to Worf who was slowly moving in to finish off the wounded officer.

"Worf, no, don't" Riker called, however either Worf did not hear him or did not care. He was only a few paces away from Bauschavic.

Troi felt it too, but in a different way. Suddenly she heard a voice in her head, Bauschavic's voice and it was clear and intelligent; not that of a man who was seriously wounded. 'Watch and learn. I will show you what I did to the Klingons who killed my family.'

"No." was all she was able to stammer out.

"Worf, stop." Riker pleaded taking a step forward, "He's not really hurt, it's a trick, it's a trap."

Worf was bent over the fallen man when he heard Riker's statement; instinctively he turned his head towards Riker and immediately felt his legs kicked out from under him. He fell onto his backside and before he knew what was happening Bauschavic was up and behind him, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other holding it securely in place. Worf felt the man's bicep pinching at his throat as the General slowly tightened his hold on him. He knew that he had made one too many mistakes.

Bauschavic leaned his body into Worf's causing the Klingon to move wherever he wanted him too. Worf tried to fight back, but he could not muster the energy to stand. He was slowly losing consciousness and it took all his energy to try and remain awake. He punched wildly at the other man's head, but they were weak and ineffective. Bauschavic rotated his and Worf's bodies as one and turned to face Riker and Troi. He was kneeling behind Worf as he slowly choked him into unconsciousness. His bloody mouth grinning wide he said, "Yield now, Klingon, and I will let you live."

"Never." Worf managed to spit out between breathes.

"Fine." Bauschavic tightened his hold and immediately Worf's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he keeled over limp and unconscious. Bauschavic stood up and glanced down at the fallen Klingon. "I guess he didn't get what he was looking for."

Troi stepped forward, "How could you? You monster."

Bauschavic wiped away more blood and sneered at her, "Relax. He's still alive, only…sleeping. You think I am a fool? If I had killed him you would have arrested me. Is that not correct, CMDR Riker?"

Riker was still astonished by the outcome of the fight. He glanced around and saw soldiers returning to their stations, some having side bar conversations about the fight that had just took place. He knew how word spread and before long the whole base would know.

Riker looked up at the General, "Yes, I suppose so. However, he attacked you first."

"Indeed he did." Bauschavic waved his hand and a soldier scrambled up to him and snapped a quick salute, "Captain, have two of your men assist CMDR Riker here with his compatriot."

"We do not need your help." Troi spat. She couldn't believe that she had been attracted to this man only hours ago.

Riker bend down to lift Worf's unconscious form, but knew that would be impossible for him. Worf was too big for just him and Troi to carry. Riker stood back up and nodded to Troi. "Yes we do, Deanna."

Troi turned away, tears welling up in her eyes, but whether they were for Worf or her feelings for Bauschavic she did not know. "Fine."

Bauschavic nodded to the captain, who sped off to get his men. He then reached over and placed a hand on Riker's shoulder. "Yes, he did start this, however he fought admirably. I was wrong to compare him to the others. If it will be any comfort to him when he wakes, tell him he was a worthy foe and earned my respect. He has, in my eyes, regained his honor."

Riker nodded, struck dumb by the General's words. Bauschavic nodded and turned away, walking back to the table to finish his briefing as if nothing had happened at all. Riker watched as the man strapped his armor back on, wiped away the blood, and carried on.

Two soldiers arrived and with their assistance, Riker carried the limp form of Worf out of the control center, headed for the shuttlecraft. He needed to get checked out by sickbay before he could return to duty. And of course Riker would have to report this to Captain Picard as well.

Troi lingered for a moment when she heard Bauschavic's voice in her head again; she turned and looked back at the man, who was staring back at her. 'I am sorry, Deanna. I did not want to fight him.'

She met his eyes from across the room, shook her head and walked out.

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Dr. Beverly Crusher looked over the final results from Worf's physical exam. She was amazed by the story that CMDR Riker had relayed and would never have believed it if she hadn't seen Worf first hand. His injuries were minor and she would clear him for duty immediately; it was his pride that had been wounded the most. Dr. Crusher decided that it would be best not to mention the incident at all and just treat her patient for his physical injuries, no point in reigniting his anger.

"You're clear to return to duty, Worf." Dr. Crusher stated as she walked back into sickbay from her office.

Worf stood up from his bed, straightening himself up to his full height, holding his head high. He could only hope that word of his defeat had not reached the crew as well.

"You need to report to Captain Picard with your statement." Dr. Crusher stated.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Dr. Crusher handed Worf a fresh yellow tunic, "If you don't mind I want to keep the one you were wearing."

"Why, Doctor?" Worf inquired.

"I think it may hold some answers we've been looking for."

Worf shook his head, "Very well." With that he strode out of sickbay to return to his job.

Dr. Crusher sighed and walked back into her office, sitting down behind her desk and examining Worf's old tunic. She had discovered numerous splotches of dried red blood upon it and knowing that it could not have come from Worf, she determined that it had to belong to this General Bauschavic, which she had yet to have the pleasure of meeting.

'Any man that can beat a Klingon is quite formidable indeed.' Crusher thought to herself as she took some samples of the blood and began running tests on them.

Within a few minutes she had her initial results, but couldn't believe they could be right. She rechecked her instruments, ensuring they were functioning properly and when she found that they were, she ran the tests again, with the same results.

"I don't understand. This can't be right." She spoke aloud even though she was alone.

The doctor tapped her combadge, "Dr. Crusher to Captain Picard."

"Picard here."

"Captain, I have some information that you may find quite interesting, but I want to run some more extensive tests first." She reported.

"Acknowledged. Report to the ready room in one hour for a senior staff meeting. Picard out."

She could here the strain in Picard's voice, however this time there seemed to be something more, hope perhaps? Beverly Crusher believed that perhaps things may be turning around for the better and truly felt that they would soon be on their way home.

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Once again Picard sat at the head of the conference table in the ready room, surrounded by his senior staff. Many reports had been coming in and he was finally convinced that things would soon turn in their favor.

"First off," Picard started, "I want to personally thank all of you for your hard work and dedication in repairing the _Enterprise_. I've been informed that the transporters are once again operational and have been certified as safe for use."

"That is correct, Sir." Data added.

"I assembled you all here because we need to discuss the matter concerning our mysterious hosts."

Everyone was silent and continued to watch Picard, with the exception of Worf who made a low grumbling noise at the mention of the General.

"Mr. LaForge, you may begin."

"Sir," The Chief of Engineering began, "during our search of the numerous Warehouses located in the underground military complex, I discovered a separate storage room in Warehouse 13. LT CMDR Data and I gained entry to the room and we discovered numerous containers stored under old tarps."

"What about these containers?" Riker asked.

"We did not have time to search inside of them; however it was the markings on the outside that caught our attention. They were labeled _USS Trenton_."

"I ran a brief search through our databanks and discovered that the _USS Trenton_ was reported lost with all hands. Their last log report stated that they had discovered an abandoned vessel and were attempting to make contact."

"Nothing after that?" Picard inquired.

"No, Sir. She was an early Starfleet vessel, commissioned during the early half of the 23rd century. Her Captain was classmates with Captain James T. Kirk."

"So how did cargo containers from _the USS Trenton_ get here?" Worf asked.

"We don't know for sure."

Picard nodded, and then turned to face Dr. Crusher, "Doctor, your report."

"While examining LT Worf, I found numerous patches of blood on his tunic. According to CMDR Riker's account of the incident, this General Bauschavic had been wounded and was bleeding heavily. I surmised that the blood must belong to him and I ran some tests to try and confirm his race."

"And the results, Doctor?" Counselor Troi asked.

Crusher exhaled deeply and continued, "I didn't believe it at first, so I ran numerous tests for confirmation." Crusher turned to face Riker, "Your suspicions were accurate, Commander, General Bauschavic is human."

The doctor's statement received numerous gasps and looks of shock.

"How can that be?" Riker asked.

Crusher shrugged, "All I know is what the test results say and there is no doubt that he is human. I ran more extensive tests and I found very little imperfections in the blood, with the exception of a foreign chemical substance which the computers could not identify."

"So, what you are saying is that his blood was almost perfect?" Geordi asked.

"Yes. No traces of disease or infections. I don't know how to explain it, other then what I have already stated."

"Mr. Data?" Picard spoke.

"Sir, I took all this information into account and began running advance searches of our Starfleet databanks for a Viktor Bauschavic. I was unable to find any information on him, even when cross referenced against the _USS Trenton_. Viktor Bauschavic was never a member of Starfleet or the United Federation of Planets."

Picard, having already received Data's report let the others take in the information before nodding at Data, "Please, continue."

"I decided that there had to be a record of this man's existence somewhere and after a more in depth search I found him, in the library's historical databanks."

Data, being an android, had no concept of anticipation or tension. His intentions and actions were not meant to illicit a hanging on the edge of your seat response; however that was exactly how all the others in the room were feeling.

"What did you find?" Riker finally breathed out.

"Viktor Bauschavic is in fact human; he was born on Earth during the later half of the 20th century."

"That's…impossible." Geordi stammered.

Data glanced around at his fellow officers, not understanding their confusion. "Viktor Bauschavic is a product of eugenics. He is one of the Chrysalis Children. I did not have time, but if I had researched his comrades, I believe that they would also be genetically enhanced humans."

Riker let out a low whistle. "What else did you learn about him? It sounds like we may be dealing with another Khan here."

"While Khan Noonien Singh was the most notorious of the 'super men' he was one of hundreds. The Chrysalis Project was breeding a race of superior beings. I cross referenced Bauschavic and Khan and found no associations between the two men, however I was able to obtain the General's birth records and he was born eight years prior to Khan. Also, it is well known that during the Eugenics Wars many of these 'super men' fought against each other. Khan attempted to dominate the world, destroying thousands of humans whom he considered unworthy due to there status as normal humans. Since the war was extremely covert many of the names of those involved are unknown. Bauschavic and his men could be some of them."

"Or they could have been allies of Khan's and just as guilty of those crimes as he was." Worf added.

"Khan and his men were exiled from Earth. If Bauschavic had been one of them he would have been aboard the Botany Bay when it left. He was not."

"Speculation." Riker retorted, "None of us can know for sure what happened since the records are so vague."

"You keep saying born, Data," Troi stated, "I thought these people were created, bred so to say."

"In a sense they were, however they were carried to term my women within the institution. They were born of the womb just as all of you were as well."

"Viktor's 'mother' was a Soviet scientist that was working with Chrysalis. When the lab was attacked, his mother was killed. The children that survived were sent to live with relatives or in foster homes, most of which knew nothing of the children's abilities" Data continued his report, "I lost track of Viktor's records after he was returned to his grandmother in Moscow. However, with more research I found him again. He served time in the Soviet Army as an Infantry Officer, fighting in numerous places, to include Afghanistan. He was then recruited into the infamous KGB. After that there is no more record of him on Earth. I am sure that General Herscher and Colonel Marking have similar stories."

Data entered a sequence on the console in front of him and a photograph of Viktor Bauschavic appeared on everyone's screen. The picture was indeed of the same man, minus the facial scar. He was wearing an old Soviet Army Uniform. He didn't appear any older now then in the picture that was centuries old.

"I don't see how this can be the same man." Riker stated. "He would be over 300 years old, however it doesn't appear that he has aged more then a five or seven years between this photograph and today. Even for a genetically engineered human that would be impossible. He's still human, not immortal."

"Maybe he is." This time it was Troi who spoke. "After our initial meeting I went to see the General in his quarters."

Out of the corner of her eye, Troi could make out a questioning glance appearing in Riker's eyes; however she ignored it and continued. "When I entered, Bauschavic was in the process of injecting himself with some sort of liquid. When he discovered that it was me who had entered and not one of his colleagues he became very agitated, nervous, and angry. He quickly dismissed the syringe as medication and I had no reason, at that time, to doubt him."

"You think that this liquid was some sort of fountain of youth?" Crusher asked. "It would explain the unidentifiable chemical in his bloodstream."

"Perhaps, I'm not sure. It could also account for his limited telepathic abilities. It could have altered his normal brainwave structure." Troi paused before continuing, not knowing if she should continue with what she was about to say, but decided it may help to understand the men they were dealing with. "If what he said about the Klingons invading their planet is true, then perhaps they were looking for it as well."

"How would the Klingons know of such a thing's existence?" Worf grumbled.

Troi shrugged, she did not have the answer to that question either.

"For now this is all speculation at best." Picard stated, "Unfortunately I believe we have even more unanswered questions then we started with. I will say, however, that knowing this man's identity does help. We are dealing with someone who potiently could be extremely dangerous. These 'super men' of the Eugenics Wars were known not only for their physical superiority to normal humans, but also for their exceptional intellectual capacities as well. If this man was an ally of Khan, then we must proceed with caution. I want to know how he got here, what happened to the _USS Trenton_, and what he is hiding from."

Data spoke, "Captain, with the documented historical accounts of Khan and his dealings with James Kirk, perhaps we need to reevaluate Bauschavic's motives for helping us."

"Yes, Mr. Data, I believe you are correct. Continue to research this man and his allies and see what we can learn. We may have just stumbled upon some war criminals in hiding. And my guess is that they are just as nervous about our presence as we are of theirs. There is no statue of limitation on war crimes."

"Captain," Counselor Troi interjected; she found it difficult to believe that she was still defending the General, "I do not think that is what this about. I did not sense anything remotely close to deception during our meetings. I would like to see him again and perhaps try to learn more."

Riker was staring at Troi now, "I don't know if that is a good idea…"

Picard raised his hand, "Noted. I will let you know. I do believe that it is time I met this General Bauschavic personally."

"Captain, I have one more item to add." Data chimed.

"Yes?"

"During my brief study of the Eugenic Wars certain names kept reappearing in the text. The notorious space traveler, Gary Seven and his assistant Roberta Lincoln for example. They fought against Khan; however since they are no longer alive they cannot help us even if we could contact them. There is however someone who I believe can assist us if she is indeed the same person as in the documents."

"Who is that?"

"Guinan."

Picard nodded, "Yes I see. I will speak with her. CMDR Riker and Counselor Troi please come with me. Everyone else may return to their duties. Mr. Data send a message to the General that I wish to meet with him at his earliest convenience. Dismissed."

Once the others had all left, Picard, Riker, and Troi stood alone. "Let's go and have a drink in Ten Forward." Picard smiled as he stared out the observation windows into the vastness of space.

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To be continued…

A/N: I use the _USS Trenton_ as a fictional ship. I do not know if that name ever appeared in the Star Trek cannons, however through my research I came up with nothing. If I am in fact wrong, and it is a real Star Trek Ship, please let me know and I will change the name.


End file.
